More than 700 trains between Aberdeen and Inverness were delayed or cancelled over the past year.
Between October 14 2023 and October 14 2024, 263 ScotRail journeys from the Granite City to the Highland capital – 5.68% – were delayed by at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, 345 services in the opposite direction – 4.48% – were delayed by 10 or more minutes.
Figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request also revealed that 45 Aberdeen to Inverness journeys and 46 Inverness to Aberdeen trains were delayed by at least 30 minutes.
More than 100 trains connecting the two cities were fully or partially cancelled between October 17 2023 and October 1 2024.
There were 34 cancellations and 17 partial cancellations on the Aberdeen to Inverness route, and 40 cancellations and 16 partial cancellations in the opposite direction.
How do Aberdeen-Inverness cancellations compare to the national average?
The number of full cancellations in the Inverness to Aberdeen route accounted for 1.24% of the services.
Meanwhile, 1.15% of the services from Aberdeen to Inverness were fully axed.
These figures are almost twice as good as the national average.
The national cancellations score between April 2023 and March 2024 was 2.3%, according to an ORR report.
‘There’s more work to be done’
The Scottish Government-owned operator thinks performance levels are “moving in the right direction”.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “Everyone across Scotland’s Railway is working flat out for our customers to ensure our rail service is a safe, reliable, and green form of public transport.
“In the past year, we’ve seen more than 98 per cent of services operating between Inverness and Aberdeen without cancellation and more than 9 out of 10 trains operating without significant delay.
“This shows that performance levels are moving in the right direction, but we know there’s more work to be done.
“Our focus is building on the hard work of our people to deliver the safe and reliable railway that our customers expect and deserve, and to encourage more people to travel by train instead of using the car.”
Network Rail investing on Aberdeen – Inverness line
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are continually working to improve the service we provide to our customers and to make sure we run as reliable a railway as possible for our passengers.
“We are also investing in the railway across Scotland, including on the line between Aberdeen and Inverness where we have invested in signalling upgrades and new tracks and stations.”
Conversation